In the United States, civic educators are debating the need to mandate the inclusion of civic education in high school curriculum. This report describes the result of a pilot test for one curriculum, "We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution." In January 2003, the Center for Civic Education contracted with MPR Associates, Inc. to…

One reason to offer sports in school is to teach youth the values, skills, and habits that will make them more active, engaged, and responsible citizens. Past evidence on the civic effects of sports is mixed, but points to some potential positive civic effects. This fact sheet uses recent data from the 2002 National Youth Survey of Civic…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a survey of U.S. student knowledge and skills in different subjects at grades four, eight, and 12. NAEP combines samples of performances to provide information about the knowledge and skills of students in the United States as a whole, in each participating state, and in different…

The purpose of this professional development manual is to provide materials and activities for developing and using assessments in social studies. The manual came about through the efforts of the 25 state consortium Comprehensive Social Studies Assessment Project (CSSAP) to make the alignment of assessments, curricula, and instructional programs…

The attacks on New York City and Washington on September 11, 2001, as well as the aborted attack that led to the Pennsylvania crash of United Airlines flight 93 comprised an event too traumatic to quickly set aside. All the things that a nation and its people do to digest, understand and in some sense recover from a cataclysm have been and are…

The authors discuss the responsibility of colleges and universities to make moral and civic learning an integral part of the undergraduate experience. Citing Judge Learned Hand's 1944 comment that "The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of…

This paper discusses key elements of current multicultural challenges of the traditional civic mission of schools. It appraises these challenges to suggest their strengths and weaknesses--contributions and pitfalls--with regard to fundamental U.S. principles of democracy endorsed by both multicultural challengers and traditional civic educators.…

This paper addresses the changing definitions of "community" as addressed in the research literature. Beginning with Tocqueville's description of individuality in the United States, the paper identifies the following designations for the term "community": (1) "Modern Communitarians"; (2) "Communities of Memory"; and (3) "Moral Commitment and…

This theme issue looks at three issues of religious tolerance. The first article examines a case recently decided by the United States Supreme Court on student-led prayers at school events. The second article explores the persecution suffered by members of the Mormon religion during the 19th century. The final article looks at Martin Luther and…

This packet provides primary source documents and lesson plans relating to the study of Jackie Robinson as a civil rights advocate. The legendary baseball player, Jack Roosevelt Robinson, was the first black man to "officially" play in the big leagues in the 20th century. Jackie Robinson was not only a stellar baseball player, but he…

This paper seeks to provide an overview of theoretical concepts of civic education and citizenship. The paper discusses recent comparative education research on political socialization and its implications for future research, such as in not fully democratic countries like Malaysia. Based on a literature review and prior research in the region,…

In 1993, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) decided to mount a 2-phase study of civic education, the first phase being more qualitative and the second more quantitative, to complete testing before the end of the 20th century and to be released early in the 21st century. Countries participating in…

These Colorado state civics content standards summarize the knowledge and skills that are the basis of responsible citizenship whether it is taught in history, geography, or other social studies courses. The guide points out that civics should be a central concern from kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is through systematic instruction in…

Civic education is essential to sustaining constitutional democracy. Each new generation presents a new group of people who must acquire the knowledge, learn the skills, and develop the disposition or traits of private and public character that undergird a constitutional democracy. Citizenship training means teaching students to think critically,…

This album addresses how civic education should be taught in Romanian schools. Civic education, like any other form of education, must be gradual and adapted to the specifics of the respective age. The album can be used by any person involved in developing future citizens. The document includes drawings and texts made by students who were apart of…